Security clampdown as war vets head back to the beaches
War veterans flooding into France this weekend to take part in events marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day can expect to face tight security.
World leaders, including US President George Bush, will be in Normandy for the commemorations, and the French authorities have drafted in about 9,000 troops to counter any terrorist threat.
They have established a no-fly zone along the northern coastline and have warned that any aircraft violating it will be shot out of the sky, the BBC reports.
The D-Day landings saw 135,000 Allied troops, mainly British and American, storm ashore on five beaches on June 6, 1944, as the first stage of Operation Overlord, the invasion of mainland Europe. Many thousands died in a withering hail of gunfire from German defenders.
As part of the security clampdown, police patrols are being stepped up across France, and there will random checks on passengers at railway stations. Border controls have been reinstated, and in Normandy, anti-aircraft missile batteries and Mirage fighter jets have been put in place in case they are needed. The French Navy will patrol a maritime exclusion zone.
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt